Writing board



April 1, 1930. c. c. HENNESSY WRITING BOARD Filed June 20, 1927 Char/es C. Hennwqy,

awozmq Patented Apr. 1, 1930 QFFH CHARLES C. HENNESSY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

WRITING BOARD Application filed June 20,

My invention relates to a writing board or platen and it is an object of the invention to provide a device of this character of simple and inexpensive construction having means 5 for quickly attaching loose leaves upon opposite sides of the same in a manner to prevent flapping. it is also an object of the invention to provide a cover for protecting the holder and leaves against soiling or damage, all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, which are made a part hereof and in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective of one application of my invention,

Figure 2, a side edge elevation,

Figure 3, a detail perspective of the pins, and

Figure 4., a section on line 44E of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, reference character 10 indicates a substantially flat supporting body of platen formed of cardboard, aluminum or other light weight, relatively stiff material. Upon each side of the body 10 is secured by means of rivets 11 passing through the body a pair of holding or fastening straps or arms 12. These fastening straps are each secured at the lower side edges or corners of the to board and the rivet at each lower corner serves to hold the end of twoopposed straps, one of which is disposed on each side of the board. Each fastening strap 12 is formed of a uniformly curved flexible or spring member Li and one end of the same is held by the rivet 11 adjacent the lower side edge of the same and is adapted to have its opposite or free end pressed downwardly against the body and fastened in such position. On account of the curvature of the strap or resilient arm 12, by pressing the free end of the same into engagement with the body 10 the entire body of the strap is progressively brought into engagement with said body from the fixed to the 4.5 free end of the strap. Catches or turn buttons 13 are provided for fastening the free end of the straps against the body 10, said turn buttons being mounted at the upper side edges or corners of the body 10 upon pivot members or rivets 14. Each rivet 14 serves 1927. Serial No. 200,143.

to hold two opposed turn buttons, one of which is located on each side of the board.

It will be apparent therefore that a thin sheet placed beneath the strap when in the last-mentioned position. will be securely clamped against the body by the strap.

The straps or resilient arms 12 are pro vided with spaced perforations or slots adapted to receive upstanding pins or elongated projections 15 for holding a sheet of paper or the like 16 in position. As shown in Fig.

8, each pin or elongated project prises a substantially E-shaped has its intermedlate member 17 b ion 15 combody which ent substantially at right angles to form a stop for the other two members 18 in order to limit the amount they are inserted through a slot in the body of the platen or support.

bers 18 are bent at right angles or substantially in parallelism wi The memto the body th the member 17, with the body of the platen between the members 17 and 18. By this construction a sheet of paper 16 having perforations to receive the projections 15 may be placed upon the platen or writing board and held beneath the straps 12.

In order to protect the device and the paper thereon from becoming soiled or otherwise injured, I preferably provide a cover of oilcloth or similar material which has its intermediate portion secured at the 11 t1 e board by means of pins 19 pper end of and has its freeends provided with snap fasteners 20 for fastening about the lower opposite end of the writing board.

My device is adapted to be used out of doors in railroad yards where it is the general practice to record repairs to cars and the the record books, and eliminatin errors in transcribing.

g delay and Another feature of my invention is the method of supporting the writing board in inclined position for copying, which is accomplished by releasing the holding straps on the opposite side of the board from that from which the sheet is to be copied and, on account of their curvature, the free ends of the straps will engage the table or the device upon which the board is supported and maintain the same at an angle of substantially 45 as shown in Figure 1.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in my device, without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination of a substantially flat elongated body, rivets extending through the body in spaced relation adjacent one extremity of the same, a pair of curved flexible straps held in place by each rivet one strap being located on each side of the body, and fastening elements located in spaced relation at the other extremity of the body for securing the free ends of the flexible straps against the body, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a substantially flat elongated body, rivets extending through the body in spaced relation adjacent one extremity of the same, apair of curved flexible straps held in place by each rive-t one strap being located on each side of the body, and fastening elements located in spaced rela- .tion at the other extremity of the body for securing the free ends of the flexible straps against the body, the curved straps on one side of the body when released being adapted to support the body at an angle of substantially 45, substantially as set forth.

3. A writing board comprising a platen for supporting a sheet while the same is being written upon, a clamping arm at each side edge of the platen, fastening means for securing each clamping arm in position at one end of the platen, said clamping arms being arranged to engage the marginal edges of a sheet for holding the same in flat position to be written upon, means carried by said platen and extending through said straps for pre venting lateral movement of the sheet on the platen. said means comprising a body having laterally extending off-set tongues engaging opposite sides of the platen, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a platen, fastening means extending through the platen adjacent each lower corner, a pair of opposed holding straps, one located on each side of the platen and secured in place by said fastening means,

a. fastening element located at each upper .Cor-

ner of the platen for securing the free ends of the holding straps against the platen, said body having a perforation between the holding straps on opposite sides of the same and projections located in said perforations, adapted to be engaged by a sheet supported on either side of said platen, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a platen, fastening means extending through the platen adjacent each lower corner, a pair of opposed holding straps, one located on each side of the platen and secured in place by said fastening means, a fastening element located at each upper corner of the platen for securing the free ends of the holding straps against the platen, said body having a perforation between the holding straps on opposite sides of the same and projections located in said perforations, said projections being disposed on opposite sides of the platen and each comprising a body having laterally extending offset body engaging tongues disposed on opposite sides of the platen, the tongues of the projection on one side of the platen extending oppositely to the tongues of the projection on the other side of the platen, substantially as set forth.

6. A writing board comprising a substantially flat body, means for securing a thin sheet on opposite sides of said body, said means including a pair of spaced curved flexible straps adapted in one position to hold a sheet on the board, and adapted when in another position to support the body in inclined position, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a platen, means for attaching a sheet of paper to one side of the platen, means for attaching a sheet of paper to the other side of the platen, said last mentioned means comprising a pair of spaced curved straps having one end of the pair attached at one end of the platen, means for holding the free ends of the straps against the platen, said free ends of the straps when released beingfiadapted to engage a support and maintain the platen in inclined position for displaying the opposite side of the same, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 3rd day of June, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-seven.

CHARLES C. HENNESSY. 

